While I aim to meet my nutritional needs from real food, read on to see my philosophy on supplements, how I use them to fill in the gaps in my diet, and my favorite supplements. This post is sponsored by Vitamin World.
Fill the void
With a blog called Kath Eats Real Food, I strongly believe in getting the foundation of your nutrition from whole foods. My goal is to eat as many superfoods, or super-nutrient-rich foods each day as I can.
But let’s be real: I don’t eat wild salmon, kimchi, or even common foods like walnuts every day. Especially when you factor in the ratio of energy needs to the ratio of nutritional needs, ~1800 to 2,000 calories I eat can’t include All Micronutrients for optimal nutrition, even on average.
I remember when I was studying to be a registered dietitian we did a three day diet analysis on ourselves at one of my courses (similar to thisplus micronutrients). Of course I ate as much as I could during the three days that followed. Although my results were good, there were still nutrients I didn’t get my RDA for – even average. These gaps are the reason I take supplements.
cost-benefit weighting
My goal is to find a balance between food and cost and improve my nutrients. For this reason, I don’t take supplements every day. (Unless of course if your doctor recommends it or when you are pregnant!) I hope to find the balance between what I get from food and what I don’t. So one day I eat wild salmon for dinner, I don’t have omega-3s. Or the day I eat a few probiotic-friendly foods, I might skip the probiotics. Even the vitamins I take I take every day. My goal: to get a benefit to fill in the gaps. (I do the same with my skin carealternating days to distribute benefits and switch goals.)
The World of Vitamins: Nutritional Supplement Center
Vitamin world is an online supplement company based in the USA. The company’s slogan isLife is complicated. Taking a vitamin should be simple.” I couldn’t agree with that more.
Their supplements work smarter with a mix of goals, like theirs Ultra 360 . Women’s Active Multivitamin. I like that they carry brands other than the ones I like, including garden of lifeAnd the stylish pantsAnd the OLLYAnd the Nordic Naturals.
With a dedication to quality, ingredients are sourced from around the world but manufactured in the United States to ensure a pure product. Each supplement is retested for strict purity and 100% potency.
Favorite Supplements
Here are my favorite supplements to help fill in the gaps in my week. I love chewing gum, especially for kids, but for myself too. They are more fun to take! As I mentioned above, I’m looking for a balance of quality, cost, and a true nutritional base.
vitamins
A multivitamin is the best “cover your bases” supplement you can choose at a relatively inexpensive price. There are many different types and styles to choose from and many are tailored to a specific audience. (Fun fact: Thomas insists we take men and women separately, but I steal his men whenever I run out! Don’t worry, there are no hormones in there.)
I am looking for vitamins that have some added perks. I don’t just want vitamins A, C, and E and call it a daily. Additional benefits may include: Antioxidants such as turmeric and grape seed probiotics, collagen or probiotics. I also would love to see adaptive adapters on the label and have read about that last year. ULTRA 360 Active Women’s Multivitamin fits the bill with a handful of these vitamins, including turmeric, collagen, hyaluronic acid, elderberry and ashwagandha.
probiotics
The gut is so important to overall health, especially immune health, and I want all the help I can get. The kids and I take probiotics on a weekly basis. Birch can’t take pills yet, and it’s easier to throw a gummy piece at Mazen and then make him stop to swallow a pill, so chewing gum makes this super easy! These also have prebiotics listed to help nourish the probiotics you’re adding to your gut.
Omega 3
Here’s another memory from my time at Winthrop studying nutrition: I asked a professor if she thought I should take an omega-3 supplement. Her response: Why don’t you eat fish three times a week? It was a highlight moment for me on my journey to believe in real food first and foremost. But here’s the truth: I generally eat fish once a week, and sometimes I eat it several times. We love to cook salmon, but I wouldn’t cook it more than once in my meal plan. And if I have leftovers, there’s less room to add sardines or tuna for lunches. Honestly, eating fish once a week and eating omega-3s for another day or two is a good balance between ideal and reality.
immune support
I’m sure this category of supplements has skyrocketed over the past couple of years! We’re starting to be more consistent with elderberry and probiotics in 2020, even though we always take them in the winter. We double if one person (ahem I’m looking at you kids) comes home with a cold. This is elderberry candy They are delicious, and we’ve got vitamin D inscribed in our other supplements (multiple, probiotic).
Joint Support + Vitamin D
These fall under the “customized for me” category. I turn 40 this month and am grateful to be as active as I am with the soccer and ACAC lessons. But I often pay for it the next day especially my left foot. I had surgery on my foot in 2005 and am seeing if a joint supplement is helping me in my post-football recovery days. I like that this one has vitamin D too because I’ve had a history of low on it.
Christmas Sale
To celebrate their 45th birthday, there are tons of great deals going on right now at Vitamin world. If you’re looking to try something new or need to restock something you already take, look for BOGO deals and more!
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